Horse of a different country

Whitefish couple promotes virtues of Brazilian Marchadors

All Rox Rogers wanted was a horse she could use for trail riding, cattle work and dressage. She found the ideal horse in Bambino, a Mangalarga Marchador.

But since purchasing the horse a year ago, Rogers and her husband, Hugh, also have discovered a passion for the breed.

Rox Rogers wants to introduce it to more North American breeders and owners and show off the horse's versatility. Hugh Rogers, a Whitefish veterinarian, has taken a different approach. This summer, he may become the first American Marchador inspector certified by the U.S. Marchador Association.

Veterinarians perform the inspections in Brazil, where the Marchador is so popular that it has been dubbed the country's national horse. Hundreds of thousands of Marchadors are used on ranches and in dressage and other competitions.

In the United States, however, there are fewer than 200 Marchadors. If owners want their horses certified for registry, the animals must be examined by a licensed inspector.

"I hope that I can become a licensed inspector for the Marchador Association in the United States, so people don't have to go to Brazil to get an inspector," Hugh Rogers said.

He and his wife spent nearly three weeks in March learning more about the horses in Brazil. Rox learned about bloodlines and spent a week at dressage school, while Hugh watched Brazilian veterinarians inspect the breed. He worked most closely with Getulio Tadeu Vieira, who certified Rox's Marchador.

INSPECTIONS AREN'T simple, he said, because nearly every breeder has a different idea of what the breed should be. He learned common characteristics, however, and got experience examining the horses. He hopes to complete his training this summer when Tadeu Vieira visits the United States to certify more Marchadors for registry.

His motivation, he said, is to benefit American breeders and association members.

"It's not that I'm going to get rich doing it or whatever," he said. "I hope that by doing this, I can help them further the breed in the United States."

The discrepancy between the Marchador's popularity in Brazil and in the United States is because it's so difficult to get the horses into the country.

Most horses in Brazil are exposed to equine piroplasmosis, a blood-borne disease spread by the country's tremendous tick population. To enter the United States, a horse must test negative for the disease.

"At this point, it's not impossible but it's very difficult for a horse to come through the testing," he said.

The U.S. Marchador Association is working closely with its Brazilian counterpart, Rox noted, "trying to get the stumbling hurdles out of the way."

There is some discussion about allowing frozen semen or frozen embryos, which wouldn't have been exposed to piroplasmosis, into the country.

"We at least could import semen that way, or a whole horse frozen," Hugh said. "It would add diversity to the genetics in the United States."

THE CHALLENGE of importing a Marchador from Brazil impacts more than just the American gene pool.

"They're fairly expensive because it is so hard to get them here in the U.S.," Rox said.

Foals aren't as costly as older horses, she said, "but for a 3- or 4-year-old, it's not uncommon to pay up to $17,000 to $20,000, if it's got some training."

For many, however, the horse is worth the investment.

Rox researched Marchadors and breeders for a year before visiting a ranch in Boulder. The ranch's owner was able to export a stallion, mare and foal from Brazil - and a horse born in South America is what she wanted.

"He had all the credentials I was looking for in a horse," she said. "That's how I got started in this breed."

She bought Bambino in April 2006. Now 5 years old, he stands at 15.2 hands, and she expects him to fill out even more. Marchadors don't mature until age 7 or 8.

She has suffered no buyer's remorse about Bambino. On their inaugural ride, she took him on a trail for the first time in his life. They crossed bridges and rivers and met hikers wearing backpacks - things that might have spooked other horses, she said.

"He's everything I expected and more," she said. "He just seems to take everything in stride. He's a lot of fun right now."

Bambino and other Marchadors are special, she added, because of their sweet temperaments. As a rule, people ride Marchador stallions and geldings instead of mares, and owners can put two stallions together without a problem, she said.

The horse also has two unique gaits: the diagonal "marcha batida" and lateral "marcha picada."

"When you look at them, they're marching in the front and running in the back," Rogers said. "And they've got the temperament. Between the two, they're excellent horses."

On the Net: www.usmarchador.com

Reporter Kristi Albertson may be reached at 758-4438 or by e-mail at kalbertson@dailyinterlake.com